


brave new world

by MyNameWasAlreadyTaken3117



Series: the war is over [3]
Category: Motherland: Fort Salem (TV)
Genre: Epilogue, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-15 05:09:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28558125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyNameWasAlreadyTaken3117/pseuds/MyNameWasAlreadyTaken3117
Summary: the old world is over.time to decide what to do now that they have the rest of their lifes ahead of them.A second epilogue no one asked for.
Relationships: Raelle Collar/Scylla Ramshorn
Series: the war is over [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2066973
Comments: 9
Kudos: 32





	brave new world

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know.  
>  This is the weirdest break I have ever taken.

"I have money"

Raelle blinks, grunts at the unwanted interruption of her sleep. Scylla curls closer to her, clearly trying to will Abigail away by ignoring her.

But Abigail has never been the kind to be easily deterred, and the last couple of days since they returned from their family vacation have reminded them how in disarray their lives are right now.

She crosses the room and throws the curtains open blinding Raelle momentarily.

"Abi" she groans, hiding her face on the pillow. 

"No listen" she hears the scrap of the chair being pulled from her desk "Guys, I have money and so do you. I checked, we were paid throughout the war and again when we were discharged. Is not a lot, but-"

"But what?" Scylla cuts her off. She sits down, draggin Raelle up with her.

Abigail sounds uncertain for the first time since she broke into their room. Raelle can actually see her this time, and the sight of her sister hunched over the chair, the bags under her eyes and her lost expression wake her up in a second.

"Abi…"

"I just...I want to do something good. The army was going to be my way to fix things, to make this mess less...messy and now...I don't know anymore"

Raelle and Scylla share a look. Raelle has been thinking the same for a while now, Scylla knows cause they have spent many hours quietly talking about it.

A new purpose.

Something to wake up in the mornings, to fight for. Like the army was, but this time they can choose what that purpose will be.

Abigail seems to be in search of the same thing.

"What do we do with the money we have, cousin?" Scylla asks softly, it still surprises Raelle how close her sister and her girlfriend have become.

"I don't know yet. But we can do something"

Scylla looks at her then, awaiting. 

Raelle knows what she's waiting for. They have spoken about all of this before so they have come up with ideas of their own. Scylla says Raelle's ideas are better, less revolutionary than her own. There was one in particular that made her smile a bit foolishly and nod along, her eyes closed like she was envisioning the future and she liked what she saw.

Abigail is looking at her too now, and Raelle feels the anxiousness build under their stares.

"Iwasthinkingmaybewecould-"

Scylla laughs softly as she stops her "Rae, breathe"

She smiles sheepishly.

"A school" she says finally, and Abigail looks at her in wonder.

  
  


~x~

  
  


"A school" 

Raelle feels like she's been hearing her own words being repeated back at for a million times already. She shouldn't have said anything.

But Tally's excitement may make up for all the weird looks she's been getting lately.

Ever since she uttered those two words at Abigail a couple days ago things have...unraveled.

It's a good thing for once, Abigail has a purpose again and it's not a one time thing like Tally and Gerit's party. It's a long term project, a hope too. 

A hope that might be squashed rather quickly if the looks they're getting are any indication.

Raelle fidgets in her seat. Scylla holds her hand under the table.

"Uh, a college actually" she clears her throat again, tries to pull herself together "We think it could do a lot of good. When the day to take the Oath comes again we want young witches to have another option"

Anacostia nods slowly, her expression unreadable. Izadora stands by her side, a hand on her wife's shoulder.

"I like it. This is the kind of initiative the army has been missing lately" she winks at them with a wicked grin and Raelle thinks she will never fully understand the older witch "You have my support of course, as long as you keep a seat for me open, y'know if I ever decide to leave my dress blues days behind"

Scylla grins back at Izadora. Raelle has the feeling they're having a conversation she is not a part of. Meanwhile her own mentor remains quiet, deep in thought. She desperately wants to be let into her thoughts, to know what the general is thinking. But truth is their relationship has not been as easy to repair since the trial. They have fought about it, on three different occasions, while Scylla and Izadora easily fell back into their own weird bond, with her girlfriend disappearing for hours in the older witch's basement.

Raelle misses her, the general…Anacostia. But she's hurt too. The silence that followed the verdict hurts, the general's inability to look her in the eye when she said the words. And later that same day when already stripped of her uniform, Raelle had cornered her in her office.

_ "Ana...why…?" _

_ "It was the only way" Anacostia had said quietly, her stare set on her desk, unwilling to meet her eyes "Raelle, I…" for a second it had seemed like she was going to get her answer. The truth this time and not silence, not an excuse, but then the general shaked herself off and when she spoke her voice was void of any emotion "It was the only way the army could move forward, Collar. Peace has a price, this time...you were it" _

She is scared to try again. To seek her eyes and try and find what they had lost. Scylla's hand in hers makes her braver, but is she brave enough?

Raelle clears her throat again "Ana"

It breaks the general from her thoughts. Her eyes fall on her cautious, guarded "Yes?"

She realizes belatedly the room has gone quiet. She thinks she can feel Scylla and Izadora's eyes on the two of them.

"I wanna know what you think" 

"I…" Anacostia stammers, obviously unprepared "I think you're right it can be a lot of good, but it would be a big responsibility too" she looks around at the the three of them reading the room, when no one stops her she keeps talking, a little more confidently this time "The army can take that kind of responsibility. We have the infrastructure and the influence, the power to make it work. You have the money, but no support, no legitimacy"

Raelle's eyes find Scylla for a silent conversation of their own. She makes a lot of sense. They need someone. But who?

Scylla is on the same page, but it's very obvious they won't get there just yet. They need to run this past Abigail and Tally. 

"Can I have more tea?" Scylla asks Izadora, and the general nods, picking up the kettle to pour her another cup.

Raelle watches the scene with a small smile, and when her eyes find Anacostia she doesn't let her smile fall, she just nods and the general nods too.

They spend the rest of the afternoon catching up and Anacostia slips her box with cookies before they leave.

  
  


~x~

  
  


Scylla's eyes follow her every move. Raelle's grown accustomed to have the other girl's eyes always on her.

She smiles stopping to pick up Scylla's robe from the floor where it fell an instant ago. When she stands up again, Scylla's smile is soft. She pats the space in the bed next to her beckoning her to join her.

"You think we're doin’ the right thing?" she asks after a brief moment of silence.

Scylla shrugs, a playful smile on her lips like she knows that's not the answer Raelle wanted "I think we need to do something, this thing, the school, it could be it"

"But it's not what you want," she gathers.

Scylla shrugs again, she looks intently at her like she's hoping Raelle will let her kiss her and forget this conversation. Any other day Raelle would happily comply, but today...she needs some answer. She desperately needs a clear picture. 

She tangles her fingers in Scylla's hair and kisses her temple. Scylla sighs happily, burying her face in Raelle's shoulder biding her time.

She speaks again after a while "When you've lived my life, Rae...Being here with you, getting another chance at life, at freedom, I don't care how it looks like as long as I'm with you"

"Do you mean that?" she asks after a pause. 

Scylla looks up, her blue eyes wide with surprise, she nods looking a little dumbfounded "Of course. I love you, Raelle"

Now she feels silly. She knows, of course she knows Scylla loves her, but after the years of anger and doubt, of dreaming and longing, it always catches her by surprise when Scylla declares her love for her.

"I love you too, I'm sorry I-"

Scylla cuts her off, her hands cupping her face and bringing her closer to kiss her. 

“Don’t expect me to be like...a teacher or something” she whispers like an afterthought a minute later, her eyes are still closed and that same soft smile on her lips “I’ll be the cool, mysterious witch hiding away-”

“In the basement” Raelle cuts her off choking a laughter “With your plants and mushrooms. The old looking books and...I’m picturing a cloak”

Scylla hides her laughter on her shoulder “Something like that”

“I don’ think anyone of us is qualified to teach” she murmurs and Scylla nods, kissing her again, this time with a clear intent to put an end to this conversation and Raelle laughs and allows the distraction, kissing her girlfriend back. 

  
  


~x~

  
  


It turns out she is qualified to teach, as are Tally and Abigail. Apparently War College is a college and since they each finish their specializations training after graduation it apparently equals a masters in a civilian university.

Raelle thinks Abigail is talking bullshit, but her sister comes back a day later with the proof. The three certificates with the crest of Fort Salem and the signature of Anacostia Quartermaine, General of the US Witch Army stare back at her looking every bit true and official. 

“I’m sure we can get Izadora to forge one for you,” Abigail tells Scylla with a grin, and Scylla rolls her eyes at her. 

Raelle watches her carefully, sees the way she stares at the certificates with a neutral expression. That’s her tell right there, the more she looks the more she knows Scylla wants it too. Maybe not exactly this, but something like it. 

“They don’t mean anything” she mutters, but Scylla disagrees, shaking her head. 

“No, Rae. They mean a lot” she’s quick to turn her attention to the others, masking her emotions again “So what now?”

Abigail seems to have been waiting for that question, she lifts a heavy looking box from the floor and tosses it on the table “We read this. Lots of paperwork to open a higher education institution”

Raelle pushes the box away “I’m sure you have a lawyer who can work this out for us. We have to get someone to legitimate our school like Anacostia said, also we need a building." Get Scylla her certificate, make her into the Necro teacher she was born to be but didn’t know until a minute ago. 

Abigail takes her box back with a sigh “Fine, don’t read it. You go building hunting”

“Fine” 

Tally shakes her head, and she and Scylla move aside to have their own conversation while Raelle and Abigail continue their battle of stares. 

The following morning she and Scylla pick one of the many Bellweather cars and take off. Tally stays back with Abigail to work out a plan of action. If they're going to open a college for witches they are going to need teachers and a whole array of people to fill in administrative positions, the whole thing gives Raelle a headache so she's happy to leave the house and her sisters in charge of everything.

Is invigorating to be on the road after so many months of calm. They have a purpose, albeit an odd one, but they do. Very quickly they decide Massachusetts is off the list of possible locations and set out south. 

Scylla knows the road. In hindsight, Raelle should have known that, but it surprises her when she first notices it. She’s calling the shots only a few hours onto their impromptu road trip and Raelle follows her indications without thought. It only occurs to her as they make their way across rural Pennsylvania, that Scylla is taking her somewhere. 

“Scyl, we’re we goin’?” she asks, pretending the curiosity is not killing her.

Her girlfriend remains quiet for a long minute, staring at the long expanse of fields on either side of the road. 

“I,uh...I know a place that might be good for the school,” she mutters. She’s nervous, for some reason Raelle can’t understand but she takes her hand anyways and hopes that is enough. 

The road is a distraction enough that Raelle easily forgets the whole conversation was left open until Scylla begins talking again. 

“We spent a year in North Carolina when I was nine or ten” she says quietly, almost as if she’s not talking to Raelle, but her eyes are on her and she smiles a little shyly when Raelle briefly looks her way “My dad got a job in the video store in town, but my mom…” she stops, her smile growing wider as if she’s momentarily caught in a memory “She got a job looking after this huge house a good forty minutes out of town. It belonged to some old man who lived in the city but wanted nothing to do with it because it had apparently been cursed by the witches who lived there in the past. We lived in the house of the keeper, it was smaller on the western side of the property just overlooking the beach. Some of the happiest memories of my childhood are in that house”

“Is that where we’re goin’?” she asks, and Scylla only nods in answer. 

“It could work”

It could work, yeah. But Raelle feels like there’s a more pressing matter “Could we afford it?”

Scylla turns to her with a wicked grin that makes her shiver “I like to think I always get what I want in the end. Also I know a thing or two about the house”

Raelle believes her. There’s something so attractive about a determined Scylla, about the way she just knows she’s going to win. Raelle could stare at her for days. 

She only has to do it for about two hours before they’re signing papers. 

She follows the scene with rapt attention, deciding to take this Scylla in, to enjoy this rare sight of her girlfriend in her element, being sneaky and getting shit done. But it happens almost too fast for Raelle to really catch it.

The house is beautiful, big enough to house a school and there’s some smaller buildings across the property that could be dorms and laboratories. Raelle will sit down and think about it all later, but Scylla has just put the phone down after notifying Abigail and Tally that they got the place for the school and she looks so happy, so proud of herself. So goddamn beautiful. Raelle is at her mercy all the time, but more than ever when Scylla is like this, bold and empowered by a win and a good three or four glasses of wine.

The keys jingle in her coat pockets and Scylla’s hands are wandering across her skin under her shirt, raising goosebumps along their path. 

“Let me give you a tour” she whispers against her pulse point and Raelle shivers again and nods, incapable of doing anything more as Scylla tugs her across the open yard. 

Her eyes find the sky illuminated by a million of stars as she follows Scylla, wherever it is they’re going. The property is huge, big enough that by the time Scylla stops them, Raelle looks over her shoulder and she can no longer see the house, just the shadows of the smaller buildings and trees. 

“We’re here” Scylla announces, her hands once again wandering across Raelle’s torso. She jingles the keys with a mischievous grin and only then Raelle realizes she was only being frisked in search of the keys. 

She pouts and Scylla laughs, opening the fence door and letting her through.

"This is the keepers house" Scylla comments, taking her hand and leading her across the small garden "My mom had a lovely rose garden here, some herbal plants as well, she let me grow my first mushrooms here too"

Raelle can barely make out the shape of the garden in the dark, but Scylla doesn't let her linger, continuing to tug at their joined hands to get her moving. 

Another jiggling of keys and Scylla pushes her inside the house. Raelle stands there in the darkness for an instant before Scylla finds the light switch and she sees the house more clearly, the small living room with the big windows overlooking the beach and the hallways leading to the rooms. She can smell the ocean with every breath she takes and she turns to remind Scylla about how they used to joke about a house on the beach only to find her girlfriend has disappeared. 

“Scyl?” she calls out, she checks the living room but there is no sight of her. 

“Here” Scylla calls quietly and Raelle follows her voice to a small square room past the kitchen, she’s bent over the floor checking the floorboards in search of something. 

“What, uh...what are you doin’?” she asks, and Scylla turns pushing her into the room. 

“You’re covering the light, Rae” she turns back immediately back to her task, and after a couple seconds of tapping at the floorboards she manages to open a small compartment. She sits on the floor and lifts her prize for Raelle to see it. 

“Whisky” Raelle takes the bottle “All this drama for some old whisky?”

Scylla takes the bottle with a huff “Not just any whisky. It’s special” she takes Raelle’s offered hand to stand up and they walk out of the pantry. Before Raelle can walk back where she came from, Scylla tugs her in the other direction, past the back door the patio. 

“Wow” she laughs at her own reaction, and at the silly smile on Scylla’s lips too “This place is full of surprises. You are full of surprises today”

Scylla smiles proudly “Only the best for my girlfriend” 

She’s different here. Raelle noticed it when they walked into the property with the real estate guy, she’s calmer, in her element. Is not just about being free or getting to use her spy training to trick the guy into spilling about the damage to the property and then managing to lower the prize by half, is something else and Raelle wasn’t sure what it was until she saw her smiling happily, holding an hold whisky bottle on the pantry's floor. 

Scylla is at home here. Or as close to a home as she’ll ever get. This is to her what the house in the Cession is to Raelle. 

“This place is special for you” she says quietly as they sit on the steps of the backyard. 

Scylla stares down at the floor with a smile “Yeah, I suppose it is. I grew up here, among many places, but this one feels special. One of the last good years, we were at peace here, got comfortable y’know? That’s no good for dodgers, but while it lasted it was good, it was home”

“I get that,” she takes Scylla’s hand on her own, “I’m goin’ to show you my home in the Cession sometime. Although sadly, we don’ have any secret compartments with fancy old booze”

Scylla’s laughter is easy too. Raelle remembers when they met, how closed off Scylla was about her past, how hard it was for her to open up and let her see just a little bit closer to her heart. It all came crashing down soon after that, the dungeon, the truth and then the war. They needed ten years of loss and trauma to find their way back to each other, to get here. 

“This was my dad’s” Scylla opens the bottle and takes a sip, her grimace turns into a smile as she passes Raelle the bottle “I understand now why he drink it from a small glass”

Raelle laughs, takes a small sip after Scylla’s warning and manages to make it without looking like an utter fool “Wow, that is...the flavour is...strong”

Scylla laughs again putting the bottle down “So we’re not getting drunk off of that” she takes Raelle hand again, but her eyes don’t meet hers, instead focus on the long expanse of sky over the ocean on the horizon “I think I was happy here Rae, maybe for the last time until I met you” she lets out a shaky breath and Raelle doesn’t dare speak “Do you think this will work? The school?”

It has too, Raelle thinks. Their last win was overshadowed by the cost they had to pay. She remembers how before it came to it, when it was just them casually talking treason over breakfast, it wasn’t scary to think of the after. Now, leaving in the after...she doesn’t regret it, but she recognizes they need a win. All of them, her family, they need a win, a new path they can walk together. 

One of peace this time. 

A brave new world has never felt more scary. 

“I hope so” she says and Scylla turns to face her with a curious expression, it seems that was not the answer she expected “I’m scared too” she admits quietly. 

Scylla grips her hand a little tighter, but remains silent. 

She looks at peace, and Raelle allows herself to feel a little bit of peace as well. 

According to Abigail’s last call everything is going perfectly fine. They are working on a curriculum for the school with the army, and even if that sounds terrifying Willa is helping too. They’ve also already put the paperwork to get approved, but again her mom is helping by moving some strings from her new position as Secretary. 

“It will be okay” she mutters, and Scylla laughs softly pulling herself closer to her. 

Raelle throws an arm over her shoulder and smiles. 

She doesn't miss the army anymore. 

It hits her suddenly, but she doesn't feel a thing. She finally has closed that chapter and found there's peace on the other side.

There's calm, and Scylla, a small content smile on her lips

She believes it now. No matter what happens, they will be okay. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed it!  
> hit me up on tumblr @realbluedragon


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